Globesweeper
- February 12, 2019
- Incandescent Games
- 20h median play time
Get on Steam"Globesweeper is a casual, single-player game that puts a twist on the classic Minesweeper. With exceptional visuals and music, players can choose from various game modes, globe sizes, and difficulties. The goal is to reveal tiles without hitting a mine, using numbers to deduce the safe tiles, available in both traditional and guaranteed solvable mode. Unlock 14 unique themes by gaining achievements and conquer colossal globes to prove your skills."
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Globesweeper offers a guaranteed solvable mode, eliminating the frustration of guesswork and making it more enjoyable for players.
- The game features a variety of tile shapes (squares, hexagons, triangles) and customizable board sizes, providing a fresh and challenging take on the classic Minesweeper formula.
- The 3D graphics and relaxing music enhance the overall experience, making it a great time sink for both casual and dedicated players.
- Some players have reported that the game still requires guesswork in certain situations, particularly on larger maps, which can lead to frustration.
- The user interface and sound design have been criticized for being clunky and lacking customization options, detracting from the overall experience.
- While the game is fun, some feel that it doesn't offer enough depth or innovation beyond the original Minesweeper concept, leading to a sense of repetitiveness.
- music21 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its relaxing and meditative qualities, enhancing the gameplay experience with soothing melodies and soft chimes that respond to player actions. While some players noted that the music can become repetitive during long sessions, it is still considered a strong aspect of the game, with options to adjust volume and even mute it if desired. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, making it a pleasant backdrop for puzzle-solving.
“The music is very relaxing too and it has these tingly noises it makes during play, except when you hit a bomb then it shows all the bombs with the explosions and me waving with my arms and the 'noooooo!'”
“The music is meditative and relaxing, and each time you flag or uncover a tile, a soft chime plays in the current scale of the music, which is a nice touch.”
“The music is helpfully soothing -- and you're going to need some soothing while you try to math your way through these puzzles.”
“The music might be lacking something in long sessions, but that's really the only downside I can think of.”
“When I streamed this game, I had to both turn down the sound effects and music in-game and in OBS by almost 10 decibels, which is pretty ridiculous.”
“Oh and the music, I've never muted a track sooner; as much as I would have liked to have turned it down to about 5% so there's at least some background noise, despite the one track being once again ascending chords.”
- graphics11 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The graphics of the mobile app are characterized by a lazy minimalist style with low-polygon retro assets, reminiscent of early 1990s games, which some players criticize as a lack of effort disguised as artistic choice. However, there are positive notes regarding the aesthetic appeal, with some users appreciating the brutal aesthetic and well-designed interface, while others find the graphics serviceable and fitting for the gameplay. Overall, the visuals are considered adequate, with some standout elements like planetary skins enhancing the experience.
“The planetary skins are a nice aesthetic addition as well.”
“This thing is gorgeous in its brutal aesthetic.”
“The aesthetics of graphics are designed with good taste; it sounds pretty fine and the game's interface is friendly as well as intuitive.”
“The lack of textures is a method that lazy developers often use to disguise their lack of talent or interest in doing the graphics properly, trying to pass it off as 'art' or 'we made it look bad on purpose', which really isn't something gamers should have to put up with.”
“The graphics wouldn't strain a cheap Android tablet.”
“The graphics are plain but serviceable.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a straightforward act of deduction, often leading to frustrating 50/50 guesses on poorly hinted tiles, which can detract from the experience. While it offers customization options and a 3D format that adds a level of addiction, the mechanics remain largely traditional and lack significant innovation beyond basic minesweeper elements. Overall, it provides a solid yet familiar gameplay experience, enhanced by smooth mechanics and additional features like achievements and leaderboards.
“The mechanics are simple and effective, there are a few themes to unlock, and each level can be customized with mine amounts, board size, and layout.”
“It's not a radical reinterpretation, just beloved gameplay now in 3D format.”
“Great bargain at this price with smooth gameplay, achievements, and leaderboards.”
“Gameplay is exactly the same act of deduction until you have to guess a 50/50 chance on a poorly hinted tile and then you get to restart.”
“Other than that, gameplay is pretty vanilla.”
“The game comes with hex and triangle variations, but that's the extent of its mechanical innovation.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players note that while the game offers a variety of achievements, some are considered excessively grindy, such as winning 1000 games or completing timed challenges. This grind can detract from the overall experience, making certain aspects feel tedious despite the game's potential for variety and enjoyment.
“Several themes can be unlocked through achievements, some of which are timed challenges, others are really grindy, so I didn't bother with them.”
“One achievement is grindy (winning 1000 games) and one is tough (beating a colossal triangle globe).”
“Spinning the globe constantly is tedious, and once you get past that, there's no redeeming or deep qualities that make it as interesting as it looks.”
- monetization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of Globesweeper has drawn criticism for being overly aggressive, with many users labeling it a cash grab that detracts from the gameplay experience. While the game offers an interesting twist on the classic Minesweeper, its excessive ads and mobile app origins have left players feeling disappointed and frustrated.
“Globesweeper is a free mobile app that's been dumped on Steam as if it was a real PC game (it's not)... it's a cash grab from greedy mobile devs.”
“However, when I recently tried to get back into it on Windows 10, I was deeply disappointed by how bloated and riddled with ads it has become.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express strong emotional reactions to the game, with some reporting tears during gameplay. The complexity of the triangle mode, where one triangle interacts with multiple others, adds to the emotional intensity, highlighting the game's ability to evoke deep feelings through its mechanics.
“I cried.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, "globesweeper" offers strong replayability, particularly due to its consistent level design and random generation features, which enhance the experience on smaller maps. The inclusion of leaderboards further incentivizes players to revisit the game, making it a worthwhile purchase for those seeking replay value.
“Infinite replayability, definitely worth the (low) price tag.”
“The leaderboards in the game give a lot of replay value for the smaller maps, which is where the random generation of the globes shine.”
“It really feels like the levels in Globesweeper have the most consistent replayability experience compared to the others.”
“I probably wouldn't buy this as my first hex-style puzzle product. I'm not sure if it really 'communicates' the deeper techniques in the way that the structured levels for Hexcells and the other games do, but it really feels like the levels in Globesweeper have the most consistent replayability experience compared to the others.”
“The leaderboards in the game give a lot of replay value for the smaller maps, which is where the random generation of the globes shines.”
- stability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game demonstrates excellent stability on Linux, with users reporting smooth performance in its native environment.
“Runs great on Linux (native, even).”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted for its clever and entertaining twist on the classic minesweeper format, incorporating unique shapes like triangles and hexagons to enhance the comedic experience.
“A pretty funny and interesting way to play Minesweeper, including the triangle and hexagon forms.”
- story1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story is characterized as a unique blend of influences from renowned creators Kojima and Miyazaki, featuring engaging storytelling complemented by an eclectic soundtrack.
“This is the unwanted child of Kojima and Miyazaki, spiced up with great storytelling and funky music.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is consistently described as very relaxing, creating a soothing environment for players.
“The atmosphere is very relaxing.”
